The Man of the Brain
by Hellerick Ferlibay
Summary: It's a "what if" story. What if there was no Arnold? And Helga had no reason to became bully... and no hope. And what if Brainy in reality is...


Hi, everyone! It's my first fanfic ever. However it wouldn't be fair to say I'm its author, I rather translated it from Russian and adapted it.

The original story was _Ордынец (Ordynets)_ by splendid Ukrainian authors _Марина и Сергей Дяченко_ (Marina and Sergey Dyachenko — they are wife and husband).

I hope my English in not so bad (but I'm afraid it is) and you can cope with it. In my school I studied German. I learned English myself reading Hey Arnold! fanfics (I've read more 300 fanfics, and their total size is let me see 48 MB!8-O I must be crazy.)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, nor characters (they belong to Craig Bartlet and Viacom) nor storyline (the subject is pride of the Dyachenkos).

And let the story begin!

* * *

**The Man of the Brain**

In the middle of the second grade a new boy joined to the gang. He had some simple name, Bill or may be Bob. For some reason nobody could remember it. But he had remarkable last name.

Brainy. The Man of the Brain.

And everybody called him that.

Helga Pataki displeased him from the first sight. She thought he was similar to a large monitor lizard: disgusting creature she had seen in Hillwood Zoological Garden, with heavy breathing, yellow abdomen and long nauseating tongue. The lizard had distant empty and cold eyes; and when anybody talked to Brainy, it seemed like he was turned with his back to him, even when he was looking straight into his eyes.

He kept himself reserved and quiet. His grades weren't very bad. Sometimes he shrank school and got bad record in his personal file. He had ordinary appearance and total indifference to everything. He would be completely unnoticed if didn't happen one unpleasant and unexpected story.

Several days before Christmas the school patrons from the Hillwood Dam granted the school some invitation cards to the New Year party in Seattle. To every card was applied a counterfoil with word on it. All the children were excited about the idea of cheerful train trip, festive crowd of the big city and enormous amount of chocolate. But two days before the trip it turned out that the cards weren't enough for everyone.

Harold Berman was the class bully. He was first who shouted that if not everyone goes to Seattle, then nobody does. His opinion was supported by his classmates: somebody because of solidarity, other ones because of wish to play up or fear of his fists and fifth grade friends. But most dangerous was show other different than everybody else.

Helga very grieved. She hated to admit that Harold was right. And it was so hard to say goodbye to opportunity to escape for couple of days from dimness of her everyday life.

All the fourth grade boycotted the New Year party. And on the next day it was well known that Brainy ignored the boycott, was on the party and received due to him gift.

The fourth graders who hardly forced themselves not to go to the party felt themselves betrayed. When Harold confronted Brainy he had strong support of classmates behind his back.

Aw, Bra-a-ainy! You've been at the party, ye-e-eah? asked Harold with threatening countenance.

yeah wheezed Brainy with no fear. It seemed to Helga that he sincerely had no idea what was the deal.

Harold wasn't very bright kid, but he knew what the sense feeling of fellowship is, and respected it.

Are you uh against everybody?

It was most dreadful anybody could imagine. Pregnant silence hung over the classroom.

Brainy just shrugged. Harold stepped forward and drawled:

A-and ya-a-a know wha-a-atcha get for eet?

And the next second occurred something impossible. Brainy hit Harold.

It wasn't like usual school fight with spitting, kicking and calling the names. Brainy just stood and wheezed. His face remained expressionless. He had hit, and crying Harold was rolling on the ground.

The crowd shrank back. Ones who stood behind the rest hadn't even understood what happened. Harold cried and kept his hands on his face. Brainy had smashed his nose and it was very painful. To the accompaniment of Harold's crying the fifth graders looked on Brainy and Brainy looked on the frightened children.

It seemed to Helga that that minute he resembled the yellow abdomened monitor lizard more than ever, and that she caught a satisfied look somewhere behind Brainy's indifferent eyes. For some reason everybody decided to take a step back. Or better two steps.

Harold sat up still covering his bleeding face. He didn't care a straw now about his pride, fortitude, and all the more about the sense feeling of fellowship . Brainy examined his victim for couple minutes, as if deciding to pound Harold once more or it was enough, and apparently deciding the latter he turned to his speechless classmates and wheezed:

I am not in your class. _Wheeze_. Consider I am not. Consider I don't exist at all.

He shrugged again and went out of the classroom, leaving behind him the silent fifth graders and sniffling with blood Harold, the only evidence of Brainy still exists.

The story had no continuation. After that day nobody wanted to encounter Brainy for any reason.

In the winter break Harold's nose almost healed and bruise around his right eye from black and mauve became yellow. The school nurse thought he was hit by a truck. Ones who knew the true story were puzzled and asked each other how could anyone do _that_ with just one blow.

There were some kids, girls from the higher forms mostly, who peeked into the gym during fourth grade class and found with their curious eyes Brainy, who stood in the middle of the line of kids. His sports wear was two sizes bigger than it should be, and Brainy in it seemed rather a deflated balloon than a superhero of fighting. He was straight student in the gym class.

Brainy still behaved calmly and barely noticeably. But now you could almost touch the wall of ice between him and his classmates. His tearing away from the rest of the class was so obvious that their teacher, Mrs. Stella Oakwood, waited for the next time Brainy missed the school and conducted an hour of behaving . Its theme was what is the true tribe and why you shall offer your shoulder to your fellow .

The bored children were hearing the droning of the woman with strange shaped head. Sheena was fidgeting because she was late for her dance class. Sid, who had long and dull conflict with Helga kicked her with his boot under the desk. An optimistic conclusion of the hour was that the children understood everything properly, and Bill no Paul ah, OK, Brainy will fit in our harmonious collective.

When Helga was leaving the classroom she was caught by Mrs. Oakwood.

Helga. This year we have to prepare two items on the program of St. Valentine's Day.

Helga unhappily nodded. She was responsible for performing stuff. OK, she always had Eugene who could play guitar and could narrate some stupid poem herself.

And you _must_ use Brainy.

Helga was stunned, but the teacher already had turned away and was walking to her desk showing Helga that the conversation was over.

Two days Helga wondered how to handle that unexpected trouble, and then she got angry and decided just to direct Brainy to prepare that stuff before that day . Sure he would do nothing, but her conscience would be clean.

Screwing up her courage she waited for recess and then went to the back of the classroom which was inhabited by Brainy.

Hey Brainy!

He lifted his eyes to hers.

The words stuck in Helga's throat. It seemed to her that she was thrown into icy water and now is thoroughly watched as she tried to get out.

what said Brainy after some pause. It was like a yellow abdomened lizard licked his lips with his long two tipped tongue and quietly asked: what?

said Helga and hurried away.

Her way to the door seemed as long as a gut. She walked away and felt cold sticky Brainy's look on her back. No way. She, Helga G. Pataki, wanted nothing from him. And let him go to the heck Little bastard

Harold had seen everything and looked at Helga sympathetically.

After several days Helga's conflict with Sid burst out with new force.

In the last class Sid stuck Helga with a needle just below her shoulder-blade. Helga hissed and stroke Sid with her twelve inch ruler. Mrs. Oakwood shouted on both of them and said she'll make records intheir personal files, but the deal wasn't over.

Sid was short guy. He stood just about Helga's armpits, but he had nasty and unpredictable temper. While she went out of the classroom Helga felt a heavy bag had collapsed on her right arm. She moaned in pain and dropped down her backpack.

Stupid monobrow said satisfied Sid.

Bald piece of vomit suddenly answered Helga.

Cucumber nosed face of Sid lengthened. That combination of insulting words left him speechless.

First of all Sid disembowelled Helga's backpack. Helga was taken aback and wasn't in time to save her belongings from Sid's dirty boot.

Monobrow! Monkey face!

Helga's purple pen mournfully crackled. Infuriated Helga threw her fists upon Sid, but he evaded the blow, spat with relish upon her pink dress and kicked her under her knee with the tip of his boot.

Through her tears Helga saw two guys from sixth grade. They were curiously and thoroughly watching the fight. Frightened Sheena drew herself closer to the wall. Gerald shouted from afar something like Hey stop you morons!

Sid Helga's tattered backpack towards boys' lavatory, and somebody roared with wicked laughter. Crying Helga threw herself forward again and her fist hit something soft. Sid caught her hair and pulled it to himself.

It was incredibly painful. She helplessly screamed out her now useless bald piece of vomit , and Sid methodically tore to pieces remains of Helga's backpack. In some moment Helga could not bear it any longer and cried with whole her voice.

All of a sudden her hair became free and the same second Sid yelled so badly that he drowned out Helga's crying.

Brainy stood near them, his head was slightly inclined forward. Sid rolled over the polished floor, flooding it with blood running from his smashed nose. His howls were unimaginable.

Principal Wartz sprang out of his office. Everybody knew how ferocious he could be. Now his face was redder than ever.

Hey! What's going on here!

The sixth graders already ran away. Sid at last was able to pronounce something barely understandable:

Bra-ae-e-ene-e-e.

Principal Wartz stepped forward to Brainy, his reddened nostrils dilated like sails of galleon.

You Brainy? _You've_ done it!

And now sobbing Helga had seen quite unbelievable thing. Brainy stepped to the principal and with tender and quiet voice said something that only Mr. Wartz and Helga could hear:

You are principal here, you aren't?

Mr. Wartz involuntarily shook his badge.

And why you can't see what's going on?

The principal blinked and Helga for the first time saw how other person — grown up person! — got under Brainy's look.

Sid still sniffed and complained. Principal Wartz hiccupped and covered his mouth with his hand. He quivered, squeezed his lips, confusedly had a look round, mumbled some threat and hided himself in his office. Brainy followed the principal with his eyes, looked on bleeding Sid's nose, and then turned to Helga.

Suddenly she was seeing herself with Brainy's eyes: a soaked with her own tears lanky girl, with red face, tousled pigtails, wearing a covered with spits dress. She wished the earth could swallow her up. And not because the fourth graders and senior pupils had gathered round and were watching her. Brainy looked at her in a different way. Helga could not understand in which way, but she was burning with shame.

He was next to her. Tiny boy with heavy stare of old man.

The scandal was hushed up. Brainy got off with yet one hour of behaving , Sid had many problems besides that story, and Helga managed to catch cold and missed the school for a week. When she got back everybody had forgotten the incident.

Or pretended they had.

One day school patrons from the Hillwood Dam visited their class: to speak about the wonder of science and technology that made their city famous all over the country, the Hillwood dam. It was raised to protect the city from disastrous floods which several times almost destroyed the city in the past. It was very complicated for Mrs. Oakwood to talk about the Dam. Her late husband, Miles Oakwood, was one who projected the Hillwood Dam and perished in an accident during its construction. But the guests didn't know about that and enthusiastically told the class about their Dam: One mile long! Three times more powerful than Hoover Dam! Its reservoir consumed the land with ten towns on it!

Twelve towns was heard from the rear desk.

Everybody turned back, save the patrons and the teacher who sat with their faces to the class and clearly saw Brainy resting his chin on on his palm.

Twelve towns _wheeze_ five cemeteries eight Christian churches one Native American heathen temple of fifteenth century 

Never before Brainy spoke when he wasn't asked.

Mrs. Oakwood frowned.

And what has it do, Mike 

And then she hesitated It seemed Brainy's name was Jack. Where is the Class Journal when you need it?

And what has it to do, Brainy Where do you know it from?

The patrons smirkingly looked at the confused teacher.

Take a twenty years old map. _Wheeze_. Though there would be no heathen temple. That was Brainy's weak voice again.

Mrs. Oakwood was pleased:

Look, Brainy And how about you Brainy will make a report on this theme Something about history and ecology?

But Brainy already wasn't interested and blankly looked through the window.

The Dam was the center of the city life. It was the main tax-payer of Hillwood, and owned several tourist and recreation centers in Hillwood city and on the shore of the Hillwood Reservoir (or The Sea as local kids called it). It patronized several schools (including P.S. 118) and had several social programs for its workers. So unfamous Sid, whose father worked on the Dam, went in the last summer to Europe at its expanse.

Every year the class went on the field trip to the Dam, where a guide would repeat the same story: about the wonder of engineering, its history, and that if you'll take two millions horses and harness them together, they would be weaker than our powerful Dam . Helga never could imagine herself this enormous number of horses in one place and one time.

And after the excursion the guide always asked the children to ask questions, but nobody asked anything, and Helga only, for some reason feeling sorry for the guide, interested: And what if you'll take _three_ million horses? 

In night after the memorable visiting of the school patrons from the Dam Helga had a dream. Very frightful dream by the way.

She dreamed that she lied amidst slippery stones and a mass of black and foul water pressed on her from above with such force, that her eyes were driven into her skull, and her ribs stuck into her lungs. She woke up with loud scream. The reason of nightmare turned out to be her twelve pound cat Vix, purring on her chest.

Next day Helga suddenly felt that she wanted to make Brainy something pleasant. Kind of to thank him for protect her from Sid.

She waited for opportunity not long time. He was called to the blackboard in the next math class. It was some boring theme, and Brainy didn't remember something. Helga who sat at the front desk could see Brainy' blank countenance transformed to confusion and irritation.

That moment saint patron of all the pupils sent down principal Wartz who called Mrs. Oakwood for some urgent business. The teacher diverted her attention and then Helga with lightning speed opened wide her math book and shoved it to Brainy.

He was astonished, for obvious reason nobody ever prompted him anything. For a second Helga thought Brainy wouldn't condescend to her help, but he did. His eyes slipped down the list of formulas, turned to the blackboard and began to scrobble like a gun machine.

Harold stared sideways at Helga from the second desk. His eyes rounded because of indignation and resentment.

Why you did'im? 

Embarrassed Helga was sorry for what she done. She was yet more sorry when upset Harold faced her in the next break.

You know we're bake er boycotting him. You're what, a strikebreaker?

From conversations with his father Harold learned several long and difficult words. Helga was completely embarrassed. Near her fidgeted dreaming of revenge Sid.

Leave her alone.

Harold hadn't understood whose voice was it and exclaimed with indignation:

And what do _you_? 

And stopped short, because Brainy stood quite near him and easily could reach Harold's nose. Sid had disappeared already.

I haven't touched ya, yea-a-ah? drawled Harold with less warlike tone. I did you anything?Clear out.

Brainy looked straight into Harold's eyes. Exactly like the yellow abdomened monitor lizard. Helga saw awe rising in Harold's pupils.

But I haven't even touched you. whispered almost crying Harold.

Next second the place where stood Harold was empty.

Brainy threw his old backpack on his back. Everybody who stood near him hurriedly parted to let him pass, and Brainy strode through the passage in the crowd like an air liner on a runway. When he was near the stairs he turned to Helga.

_Wheeze._ You go?

And she went.

Since that day she went after him everywhere like a dog. It was nothing like the stories of first love or friendship in Helga's books, and Helga didn't knew any word to describe her relations with Brainy.

He was a head shorter than she, wore glasses, had frail figure. Helga understood very well how ridiculous and stupid she looked near him: tall pigtailed lanky girl in pink dress. However nobody in the school dared to lough in her face.

When it was already late April, Harold faced her near the cloak-room.

you Helga stop going around with him.Oh, I'm so afraid of you, Pinkboy! answered sure of herself Helga.

Harold made a wry face as if it hurted him.

Yeah, you ain't afraid But you see you see _what_ he is?

Helga could swear she saw in Harold's eyes honest and sincere praying. Helga didn't feel quite herself now.

he is kinda odd. What do you want him for.

Helga didn't know herself.

He was cruel. He could forget about her for three or four days, he looked through her like if she was thin air, and those days she was fidgeting in isolation, feeling malicious stare of her classmates on her back. Everybody was afraid of her and didn't want to approach her.

Then he took pity and brought her with him everywhere. In particular to the Dam, which attracted him like a magnet.

He could speak in any way about anything, he made fun of Helga's favorite movies and derided her taste in literature. Helga could take offence till make herself cry but she couldn't contradict him.

He couldn't live without his Mr. Fudgie bars. Everyday there were several bars in her backpack.

Brainy had addicting effect upon Helga. When she came into the class in morning and didn't see Brainy, she fidgeted and worried. If he still was absent when a class began, she felt almost physical anguish. When he at last showed himself to the class, asked permission to come in, absent mindly listened to teacher's scolding and silently passed Helga — she was happy like if she jumped into the warm water of summer sea.

When he spoke she wanted to close her eyes, because his childish face didn't correspond to his manner of speech. She got used to shrink school with him and didn't mind how it will affect her personal file. When Brainy was in good humor she could ask something.

From where do you know everything about the Dam? once she asked.

The Dam stood before them: huge and terrifying, like a jaw of a dead ogre.

He lifted his brows.

What do I know about it?Twelve towns five cemeteries nine churches_Eight_ Christian churches.From where do you know?It isn't the question. The question is from where do _not_ you know it.Nobody said me.Somebody said _me_.Squirrel in goo.

Helga felt hurt. Brainy saw it but did nothing to redress a wrong. What for. She has nowhere to go from here. She will survive.

Helga offendedly breathed out and survived. Above the grey water flied round tiny like barleycorn seagulls.

It means their graves still are there? On the bottom?They were _wheeze_ washed away.How could it? Together with deadmen?Why are you concerning about deadmen? There were _wheeze_ alive ones.They were moved out. And you can't just move out the deadmen, you can?

It seemed to her that Brainy grinned. She never could understand when he is grinning to her words and when to his thoughts. It was terrifying: the grin of yellow abdomened monitor lizard.

Yes. You can't move out deadmen. he confirmed with strange satisfaction. It seemed to Helga that that unpleasant statement delighted him. She didn't feel quite herself and turned away.

You know what _wheeze_ is heathen temple like? asked Brainy behind his back.

supposed unsure Helga.

Far away behind the Dam heart-rendingly yelled a motor ship. It was strange and dreary, like on of living being.

Brainy stood up from the grass, and like if he had forgotten about Helga slowly walked to the bus stop.

Sometimes she madly wanted to get from him some sign of attention. Even if only a withered daisy. Or dandelion from lawn. A ticket for movie or even for some stupid cartoon! What for is she going around him like a dog?

Once she intentionally shoved into her backpack four volumes of Encyclopaedia. Old backpack barely didn't lap over, his sides rounded like hamster's cheeks, like a snake swallowed a hippopotamus. Hunched Helga walked to school with her left arm drown out. Brainy was amazed but showed no intention to help her.

In the recess he stood near sixth grader Ruth P. McDougal. Stupid Ruth got right curves in right places when she was twelve already and now towered a foot and a half above her tiny interlocutor. Her eyes seemed astonished and frightened at the same time.

That night Helga swore she would never speak with Brainy again

Several days she was intoxicated with bitterness of abandoned Juliet. Sid seized an opportunity and covered up Helga's math book with swearings and obscene pictures.

After all the classes Helga found Ruth in girls' room by a sink. Stupid sixth grader was crying.

She was crying and spread over her face her tears, warm water from the sink and something red, maybe lipstick or (thought frightened Helga) blood. Ruth saw nothing around her, she was in her worst hysterics and her framed by inflamed eyelids eyes seemed white and blind.

In half an hour — Helga was busy with her performing stuff chores and had seen everything — the school nurse hurried to the girls' room.

Nobody knew what happened with Ruth that day. Nobody knew what brought her to that condition. But for some reason Helga didn't feel quite herself.

Next day Brainy came to Helga with his usual patronizing smile. Helga broke her promise to herself and left after him from her English class. It was stupid because she was preparing for that lesson for whole week.

Two days after that, red from excitation Sid rushed into the classroom and yelled that guys from sixth grade caught Brainy in boys' lavatory and just now make him black out . Everybody turned their faces to Helga, but she apathetically continued to copy an earthworm from zoology book to her exercise book. The picture turned out to be very naturalistic. The pencil was trembling in her hand.

Hurrying to enjoy the unprecedented show a horde of fourth graders rushed after Sid and left Helga sitting alone in the classroom.

Clenching her teeth she was completing the drawing of earthworm's oesophagus, when thrown open door closed and the noise of recess became quieter. Brainy stood by the door and seemed more cheerful than usual, like full up yellow abdomened monitor lizard. Helga opened wide her mouth.

As if nothing happened Brainy walked to his desk threw his exercise book to Helga

Draw me that worm too. _Wheeze._ Yours turned out good.

On May fifteenth the school patrons organized for fourth graders a trip in motor boat. Helga stood on the boat stern and the wind blew her kept down hair. Helga imagined herself a princess that ran away her from her royal parents. Brainy was sitting with his back turned to her, chewed a Mr. Fudgie bar and dully looked at foam tail after the boat.

After the story with sixth graders Brainy was surrounded not by scorn but by glory. The shadow of that glory fell upon Helga. His attitude by that time became quite unbearable, but Helga stood it, because he didn't speak with anybody else. About anything. Ever.

A boombox was screaming. Girls with sandwiches crowded the stern. Sid threw a cork of Yahoo soda upon the deck. Harold surrounded by his hanger-on's was watching the shore through his opera-glasses. Helga thought that he was resembling more a haunter of theater than a sea-dog as he wanted it.

What's so funny? asked Brainy.

Nothing of your beeswax, answered Helga with a snarl but kept smiling.

Sheena told the girls from other class a story that bored everybody already, about that during a play in the Hillwood theater a real iron sword was thrown from the scene stright into the audience. There were some dancing knights or kinda that, and suddenly a sword escaped the hand of his bearer and rushed into the house! It would kill somebody, but there was a man — military man — in the third row, who jumped and caught the sword! Sheena told that story a hundredth time already, but Helga still was hearing it, because there was nothing else to do.

I can't believe how lucky we were! Sheena swung her vegetarian sandwich in air. He was sitting in the third row exactly, he was military, he had splendid reaction Yeah, lucky, suddenly said Brainy and Helga started. Lucky you were. _Wheeze._ Maybe he went to that play every time. Maybe he was sick of it already, that stupid childish play And he went again and again just to jump and catch it once _wheeze_ stupid piece of iron 

Brainy stood up. He was frowning and stooping. Helga worried that he could be sick.

The little crowd of Harold's hanger-on's burst out with a laugh for some dull joke.

They'ry laughing,' said Brainy with disgust. They think it's ridiculous '

And suddenly he did something they were strictly warned not to do. With whole his body he leant over the rail and hung his head above the foam tail, attracting the eyes of his classmates to his threadbare pants.

Helga started again, the thunder of music drowned out Helga's scream, but standing in the aisle Mrs. Oakwood nevertheless turn her head to her. But when her look reached Brainy he already stood by Helga and his red of rush blood face seemed nonchalant.

It's deep here, said he to Helga. So deep.

A week before the fourth grade graduation the children were gathered in school auditorium, and some Mrs. Pudney — a policewoman — gave a sinister and frightening lecture.

Lately, said policewoman, became more frequent accidents, especially on the water. The days are very warm now, and children swim with no prudence. Here she had report, very impressive one. And it means that in the summer break the children should be more careful, go to the beach with parent guidance only, not speak with strangers and be sure to return to home before eight o'clock. When she spoke word her eyes became glass-like for some reason. Rhonda whispered to Nadine that near the Dam was found a beheaded body of a girl. Nadine didn't believe her, Rhonda was well-known queen of gossips.

Next day drowned a boy from their school, drowned in front of his two classmates' very eyes. They didn't heed to the lecture and went to the beach with no supervision

The boy's funeral created the darkest impression on Helga. Because of her heavy thoughts she didn't notice how soft Brainy was today, that he didn't walk away of her not a step.

The rest of the day they spend in the park under the Dam. The huge construction seemed very picturesque today, even elegant. And Helga couldn't get rid of Rhonda's whispering in her ears: under the Dam, under the Dam, under the DamUnder the Dam, said Brainy. Helga started.

You want a Mr. Fudgie? asked Brainy. He never treated to her. _She_ did to him.

I do mechanically answered Helga. Brainy ransacked in his pocket and fished out of it a shriveled Mr. Fudgie bar.

Take it.

Helga took. The sweet kept warm of his body. It gave her the shiver all over her body.

Are you afraid? asked Brainy.

Helga didn't understand. She wasn't afraid rather she was anxious and didn't feel quite herself. At the same time Brainy's attention flattered her. The first time he spoke with her as her equal.

Are you afraid, Helga?

She looked into his eyes more thoroughly and all of a sudden started back. She was watched by huge yellow abdomened lizard.

You're silly, Helga, said Brainy.

His look became human-like again, and confused Helga thought that monitor lizards aren't so bad. Scaring yeah, but they don't eat men, they aren't like crocodilesYou're silly, Helga because you're still to little.I'm taller than you limply snarled Helga and suddenly realized that Brainy who was a head shorter than her in some incomprehensible way looked at her from above.

He grinned, and now she was actually afraid. His eyes screwed into into hers like two gimlets. It seemed painful, frightful, ouch

It took some time to understand that she was recoiling, moving backward like a cat with a sock on its head. She met some trunk with her back and stood rigid. Now Brainy looked at her offended.

Yeah, sure run away Maybe you should call for help?

He turned his back upon her and walked to the bus stop.

Helga's cheeks turned red. More than relief was her shame for her stupid fear and grievance that Brainy for the first time spoke with her _really_ spoke, and she

She almost caught up him when he turned his head back:

Do you know what the emergency system is?

Helga was silent. She was to nervous to think about what he asked. In her squeezed fist melted the warmed up Mr. Fudgie bar.

He went away, and Helga sat in grass and started to howl.

That night the earth shivered. Dish clinked in the cupboard. Crystal pendants under the chandelier jingled. A blender fell from table to the kitchen floor.

Helga's father was in some business trip, and her mother Miriam took drowsy Helga's hand and pulled her out to the street, that already was crowded by half-naked neighbors. The word spread in the crowd, and together with it spread itself a freezing wave of horror.

There was crack in the Dam. In the Dam

That night Hillwood learned what is the fear of doom.

Helicopters cleaved the black sky. The people looked at them with hope and hatred. The machines took away the chosen ones, and left the rest for the jaws of death. Several never took off the ground of the night Hillwood and were ruined by insane thirsty for savior crowd. In the train station a train was nearly carried away from its rails. The people weren't reasoning, weren't thinking, trudged forward, stopped at nothing, to save if not them at least their children, to have time to shove them to window of leaving train, at least children. Almost everyone understood that the train couldn't save anybody. A prodigy could.

The city lived under the Dam. The city knew perfectly well its destiny.

Ant-hill under a hydraulic press, ginger house on wich sat a drunken guest, a bird nest under a road-roller. That was their way. One huge spot on the surface of the long-suffering earth, one huge common spot.

Radio station broadcasted some light music. Television and phones didn't function.

That night Helga remembered her old dream, about her lying on the bottom of the fetid sea and trying to stand up. She very wanted to stand up Very.

She stood amidst her neighbors in front of her own house. She held in her hand a bag with two T-shirts, one sandwich, spare shoes and an ID card.

In the next morning the broadcasted music was interrupted by voice of a frightened announcer. She begged the residents of Hillwood not to worry, because there was no menace to their lifes, and it was very time to go to sleep.

The Dam still stood. In _son et lumiére_ of searchlights, behind the three lines of cordoning, but still stood, and the Hillwooders couldn't believe their inflamed eyes.

Helga fell asleep when the dawn of new day already raised above the city. On the verge of dream and reality she saw something strange.

She saw as a huge dark living wall, into which turned the torn down Dam. She saw its dark will was faced by tiny awkward tiny childish figure.

The rumors were going around the city for long time. There was the crack in the Dam or there wasn't? The newspapers didn't knew themselves. The khaki cars of National Guard patrolled the streets. It was said that the federal commission for investigation of the case several times changed its staff. Were scolded the engineers of the Dam. Somebody remembered the accident in which had been killed Miles Oakwood. Many citizens thought it was terrorist act. The Dam remained cordoned by corps the National Guard. And it still looked magnificent and terrifying.

In Drymon Medical Clinic there was a boy with partial loss of memory. In the next fall he should go to the fifth grade of P.S. 118 and meet there Helga Pataki.

It turned out his name was Joe. He stood much taller, his light hair became darker. When he went into the classroom he didn't know where is his old desk.

Eleven pairs of eyes were exploring that so much changed boy. Helga still sat in the front of the classroom. Brainy passed her without looking.

After several days Helga's conjecture became certainty. New Brainy wasn't Brainy she knew, but he still was the same boy.

He had Brainy's voice and wheezing, but he hadn't Brainy's words. He was backward in every class, he was chatterer, he frequently laughed and sucked up to Harold. Once he had s quarrel with Sid and began to spit in him, every time missed by the way

Only once Helga approached him:

He guardedly frowned as if waited for a prank.

Looking into those familiar and blank eyes Helga for the first time understood her loss.

After a month Brainy perfectly fitted the gang he despised before. The teachers exchanged glances and gave him grades for his worthless answers. For pity's sake most likely. Or for old times' sake.

The fifth grade was much more tranquil than the fourth one. Every day Helga went to the park under the Dam. She sat on a bench watched the seagulls and prayed.

She prayed: Brainy. I don't know who are you, or what are you. I don't know where are you. I beg you to come to me, to show yourself, just for a minute. I'll die if you won't.

The fall passed. Then did winter. Brainy hadn't returned and Helga hadn't died. She rarely went to the park now.

The benches were painted white. They came off under snow and rain. After several years they were painted again.

And yet.

An elegant lady who passed through her home city, stood in front of the Dam and watched the seagulls.

In her stylish looking purse dozed sticky lump of old shriveled Mr. Fudgie bar.

The End

* * *

Uh The farther the more out of character.

So anyway, how do you like it? I know the story is great because it isn't mine.

Is my language much worse than one of HunGuy who still can't distinguish _his_ and _her_? (I know in Hungarian it is the same word, but still )

I would be very glad if somebody agreed to edit this story. I think this subject deserves better language.

The funny thing is I live in city of Divnogorsk which lies under the Krasnoyarsk Dam on Yenisei river. (Its height is about 400 ft. If you have a good atlas then look there a place in Siberia with coordinates 92°22' East and 55°57' North, I live there). And the original Brainy character's name was _Pasha_ (diminutive of _Pavel_) which happened to be my real name.


End file.
